As an old school funkateer my knee-jerk reaction was that this was an unfocused mess and certainly not worthy of the Funkadelic name. However, like most worthwhile music listening more times and more closely is paying off. What threw me off is expecting (and hoping) for some kick-ass guitar-driven psychedelic funk-rock more in the vein of, well, Hard Core Jollies, or something as hard grooving as Knee Deep. Once past that, this is a deep, complex, entertaining, and oh so funky opus.

As a whole though, I still say it should not be released under the Funkadelic name; it is more accurately described as either a P-Funk All-Stars or George Clinton release. But who ever thought George would come back this hard and intense in his twilight years?! Pretty damn cool. I am also reading and digging the hell out of his book.

I am still holding out hope of hearing more deep tracks with Bernie and Bootsy prominent in the mix. Get them reunited and emphasize more vocals and less rap. That is the true funk trifecta and we need them to do it while they still can!

4EVA FONIKIN' ON BOBBAS!

Here is a not too favorable review: http://illtal.com/review-...-the-gate/

HardcoreJollies said:

I agree with what he's written in that review on most of the tracks.

"Meow Meow" doesn't really reference "Atomic Dog" though. It uses bits and pieces from "Copy Cat" (one of my own favourites from the 80s era - it's from the P-Funk All Stars album "Urban Dancefloor Guerillas). I rather like "Meow Meow", although I would have left out the rap stuff from it.

Another "filler track" that I rather like is "Yellow Light". I like the experimentalism of it (that's Sly doing the vocals with all the effects applied on them, huh?).

After about two weeks of listening to the album I'd say "Pole Power" is the best track on the whole set. The few "rock" tracks are okay, but not quite up to the standards of old Funkadelic, if we're honest about it.

mrwiggles said:

HardcoreJollies said:

Here is a not too favorable review: http://illtal.com/review-...-the-gate/

Dayum, did a mugg just call The Naz filler? Ahem....it becomes a question of which Funkadelic do you want? Do you want the acid fried stoned psychedelic ghetto metal of Free Your Mind Maggot Brain or the disco sadistic pounding bass synth of The Knee Deep era foot soldiers? To me there is 3 distinct eras. With transitional albums ushering in a new one. The first 3 records then America Eats transitioned into that mid period of Slop through Tales. Then Jollies transitioned into what GC was calling that "new" funk back then. The Warner's era. Band sounded totally different each time. It's 2015 and here is another era. Future funk. He's trying to get his offspring off, Tra'zae and Garrett and the Tallahassee crew. Sheeit, and I almost hate to say it but if I had to chose a track I thought with the right promotion would blow up in this time and space it would be....... Get Low. Thang is, George ain't gonna look back. Once he does a particular sound he is trying to create something else. This record has some retreaded lyrics but hell, so did those records back in the mid 70's where he was often taking his 60's lyrics and incorporating it into new grooves. Mugg tries to stay current at every juncture in his career. When rap first hit he comes with Nubian Nut. Turned electronic music on its own head with Atomic Dog. Beat box he brought out Double Oh Oh. I feel this record like most Clinton joints will grow on a mugg. You hear it once and are like what the hell is this? But upon further inspection there is some grooves and method to the madness under there, most of the time. How Late notwithstanding LOL. [Edited 12/8/14 19:27pm]

But has he done that with waaaaay too much with hip-hop? looking back?

novabrkr said:

I agree with what he's written in that review on most of the tracks ... The few "rock" tracks are okay, but not quite up to the standards of old Funkadelic, if we're honest about it.

That review is wrong about so many things, especially the assumption that the better tracks must be from the vault.

Where Would I Go? is George Clinton crying his heart out about losing his main support and friend Garry Shider, supported by Shider's son, Rodney Curtis on bass, Blackbird McKnight on guitar. Listen to the words! It is a beautiful proper song that would hold up if you played it with just guitar and vocal. It is absolutely on the same level as 1970s Funkadelic, one of the deepest tracks they have ever recorded imho.

All the tracks with Robert Mandell are from the recent sessions, including Catchin Boogie Fever, which is really a showcase for Danny Bedrosian soloing I think.

I am pretty sure that is Bernie Worrell on piano all through Roller Rink. Many of the old original Funkadelic and p-funk members are represented on the album; we havent seen the full list yet.

As In is about ten years old, but paying tribute Jessica Cleaves, Belita Woods, Garry Shider is an important part of what this album is about.

Radio-friendly is also old and released before - I think this is a newer, tightened up mix/edit? Calling it g-funk inspired is of course totally backward.

Jolene is from around 2007, based on stories about Scarface in the studio with GC around that time. So Garry Shider is on there.

Mathematics was also released earlier.

Apart from those, there isn't really anything else from "the vaults", nothing from before 2000.

Listen to the guitar, keyboards, vocal lines on tracks like Meow Meow; this is top-notch classic p-funk, but totally new with next-generation voices and musicians.

Auto-tune is a logical addition to the heavy vocal processing p-funk has always used - Sir Nose,Troutman's vocoder GC pushed to the front on More Bounce To The Ounce. Taking a trend and pushing it to the edge has always been GC's MO - taking James Jamerson a step further with Bootsy. Yellow Light with Sly Stone's garbled vocals and live drum/snare mixed all the way to the front is quintessential p-funk.

Dippety Doo is not really hip hop influenced; it is almost a remake of Free Alterations, the closer of Computer Games.

[Edited 12/12/14 15:06pm]

[Edited 12/12/14 15:08pm]

[Edited 12/12/14 15:16pm]

Hey mod, how about making this a sticky. Approaching 100 posts and the actual CD is still yet to come out later this month. Don't you GC and P-Funk deserve it after 9 long years between releases?! Plus, this thing is bangin and deeper the more I listen to it. We are so lucky to still have GC around pushing the P!!!

Can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the CD when it's released later this month!

modified said:

novabrkr said:

I agree with what he's written in that review on most of the tracks ... The few "rock" tracks are okay, but not quite up to the standards of old Funkadelic, if we're honest about it.

That review is wrong about so many things, especially the assumption that the better tracks must be from the vault.

Where Would I Go? is George Clinton crying his heart out about losing his main support and friend Garry Shider, supported by Shider's son, Rodney Curtis on bass, Blackbird McKnight on guitar. Listen to the words! It is a beautiful proper song that would hold up if you played it with just guitar and vocal. It is absolutely on the same level as 1970s Funkadelic, one of the deepest tracks they have ever recorded imho.

All the tracks with Robert Mandell are from the recent sessions, including Catchin Boogie Fever, which is really a showcase for Danny Bedrosian soloing I think.

I am pretty sure that is Bernie Worrell on piano all through Roller Rink. Many of the old original Funkadelic and p-funk members are represented on the album; we havent seen the full list yet.

As In is about ten years old, but paying tribute Jessica Cleaves, Belita Woods, Garry Shider is an important part of what this album is about.

Radio-friendly is also old and released before - I think this is a newer, tightened up mix/edit? Calling it g-funk inspired is of course totally backward.

Jolene is from around 2007, based on stories about Scarface in the studio with GC around that time. So Garry Shider is on there.

Mathematics was also released earlier.

Apart from those, there isn't really anything else from "the vaults", nothing from before 2000.

Listen to the guitar, keyboards, vocal lines on tracks like Meow Meow; this is top-notch classic p-funk, but totally new with next-generation voices and musicians.

Auto-tune is a logical addition to the heavy vocal processing p-funk has always used - Sir Nose,Troutman's vocoder GC pushed to the front on More Bounce To The Ounce. Taking a trend and pushing it to the edge has always been GC's MO - taking James Jamerson a step further with Bootsy. Yellow Light with Sly Stone's garbled vocals and live drum/snare mixed all the way to the front is quintessential p-funk.

Dippety Doo is not really hip hop influenced; it is almost a remake of Free Alterations, the closer of Computer Games.

[Edited 12/12/14 15:06pm]

[Edited 12/12/14 15:08pm]

[Edited 12/12/14 15:16pm]

When I wrote that "I agree" with the reviewer I really just meant that I happen to like pretty much the same tracks on the album as he does.

"Where Would I Go" is a good one. I just wasn't blown away by tracks like "Yesterdejavu" and "Jolene" like many others seem to have.

novabrkr said:

mrwiggles said:

I have the credits over here. There's some uncredited performances but Roller Rink is Danny all the way. Most of the classic names you see are by way of samples. As In is way beyond 10 years. This was done way back about 79-80 and planned for Jessica's never released album on Uncle Jam. He has another mix of this that is musically very close with him doing most of the vocals on Gangsters Of Love. Another mix of Mathematics is on there too. [Edited 12/13/14 11:18am] [Edited 12/13/14 11:25am]

As In has Lily Haydn on violin. She wasn't around in 79/80, but could have been added to an old recording of course. I was wondering if Roller Rink was Danny doing a Bernie imitation; where did you get your credit info? Could you post the complete list?

novabrkr said:

When I wrote that "I agree" with the reviewer I really just meant that I happen to like pretty much the same tracks on the album as he does.

"Where Would I Go" is a good one. I just wasn't blown away by tracks like "Yesterdejavu" and "Jolene" like many others seem to have.

Yesterdejavu and Jolene are passable Funkadelic; nothing wrong with them, nothing special either. They had plenty of mediocre tracks in the 1970s as well.

But Fu*ked Up is next level imho. Who is that drummer?

[Edited 12/14/14 4:10am]

mrwiggles said:

Digital booklet came with iTunes download.

NO digital booklet with Amazon download!!

mrwiggles said:

Drummer on Fucked Up is Nestor Mumm-Altuve, a cat I've never heard of.

Here is Nestor Mumm-Altuve 'EFin around' in 'What Studios in Tallahassee' - George Clinton's home studio.

https://www.youtube.com/w...91P-3FikDY

CD out Dec. 23rd.

mrwiggles said:

Does not seem to be a way to put the info here at all. Tried to copy it just gives me these weird codes when I paste it.

Just curious about a few things.

Are there real horns anywhere? Like on Baby Like Fonkin' it Up and Catchin Boogie Fever? Or is it all samples and synths?

Are Michael Hampton, Jeff Bunn, Lige Curry, Benzel Cowan, Ricky Rouse of the current live band actually anywhere on the album?

Who is on Meow Meow? And Pole Power?

Are there other appearances of old p-funk members we haven't heard about?

[Edited 12/16/14 7:31am]

Hip Hop & Funkadelic... Hell No!

mrwiggles said:

According to the credits neither Greg Thomas, Rouse, Bennie Cowans or Clip Payne for that matter is anywhere on the record. Clip says he ain't on it. That did throw me as I knew a Funkadelic album would have more 420 funk in it. Clip has been putting out the closest thing to Funkadelic coming out of the GC camp for years. Lige is playing on Roller Rink and Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard (which has become a fave). Bunn on You Can't Unring The Bell. Skeet is on Where Would I Go and Talking To the Wall. Mike Kidd Funkadelic is on Where Would I Go and As In. Fred Wesley is blowing 'bone on Baby Like Fonkin' It Up. There appear to be some other real trumpets on this track by Whitney Russell. Fred & Maceo are listed for Boogie Fever with another trumpet and 'bone player named Dave Richards, that Brides Party Up In Here lick. Horny horns appear to be sampled on "Bell" from a live lick from Mothership. Live From Houston. Rick and Kush are listed. No Benzel, Foley, uh uh. Chong, Fratangelo and Bernie are all listed over various tracks some or most of which I'm sure is sampled. For instance, on Boom There You Go Again we get both Bootsy and Bernie, but it's sampled from Supergroovealisticprosifunkstication. There is some pretty mean percussion going on Fever that credits Fratangelo. Meow Meow list Bootsy bass and guitars, Bedrosian on synths. Pole is G Koop drum program with Trey Lewd and Tra'Zae guitarists. Bedrosian again on synths. [Edited 12/16/14 13:08pm] [Edited 12/16/14 13:16pm]

Thanks! Fred & Maceo credits are probably all samples. Bootsy bass and guitars on Meow Meow? Also a bit dodgy. I wondered about the percussion - and drums? - on Boogie Fever. Hard to believe that is sampled. That would be interesting if that really is Fratangelo.

This Kendra Foster bio provides a lot of background about Whitney Russell, Michael Patterson and the whole Tallahassee scene:

http://www.sonicbids.com/...ra-foster/

[Edited 12/16/14 14:53pm]

modified said:

modified said:

mrwiggles said:

According to the credits neither Greg Thomas, Rouse, Bennie Cowans or Clip Payne for that matter is anywhere on the record. Clip says he ain't on it. That did throw me as I knew a Funkadelic album would have more 420 funk in it. Clip has been putting out the closest thing to Funkadelic coming out of the GC camp for years. Lige is playing on Roller Rink and Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard (which has become a fave). Bunn on You Can't Unring The Bell. Skeet is on Where Would I Go and Talking To the Wall. Mike Kidd Funkadelic is on Where Would I Go and As In. Fred Wesley is blowing 'bone on Baby Like Fonkin' It Up. There appear to be some other real trumpets on this track by Whitney Russell. Fred & Maceo are listed for Boogie Fever with another trumpet and 'bone player named Dave Richards, that Brides Party Up In Here lick. Horny horns appear to be sampled on "Bell" from a live lick from Mothership. Live From Houston. Rick and Kush are listed. No Benzel, Foley, uh uh. Chong, Fratangelo and Bernie are all listed over various tracks some or most of which I'm sure is sampled. For instance, on Boom There You Go Again we get both Bootsy and Bernie, but it's sampled from Supergroovealisticprosifunkstication. There is some pretty mean percussion going on Fever that credits Fratangelo. Meow Meow list Bootsy bass and guitars, Bedrosian on synths. Pole is G Koop drum program with Trey Lewd and Tra'Zae guitarists. Bedrosian again on synths. [Edited 12/16/14 13:08pm] [Edited 12/16/14 13:16pm]

Thanks! Fred & Maceo credits are probably all samples. Bootsy bass and guitars on Meow Meow? Also a bit dodgy. I wondered about the percussion - and drums? - on Boogie Fever. Hard to believe that is sampled. That would be interesting if that really is Fratangelo.

This Kendra Foster bio provides a lot of background about Whitney Russell, Michael Patterson and the whole Tallahassee scene:

http://www.sonicbids.com/...ra-foster/

[Edited 12/16/14 14:53pm]

Do the liner notes includes interesting artwork and creativity like old Funkadelic albums? I am hoping so. If it does I also hope they make it available on vinyl to see Pedro Bell's work in all its glory. I really wonder with all the time he had to work on this why some of the P-Funk alum are not more prominent on the finished product. I can't help but wonder if money or contractual obligations played a part. Regardless I love the Shake the Gate project, there is nothing else like it being released nowadays, it is still easily identifiable as P-Funk related and it also greatly outfunks recent Prince.

Wishing Y'all the Funkiest of Holidaze!

HardcoreJollies said:

controversy99 said:

HardcoreJollies said:

As an old school funkateer my knee-jerk reaction was that this was an unfocused mess and certainly not worthy of the Funkadelic name. However, like most worthwhile music listening more times and more closely is paying off. What threw me off is expecting (and hoping) for some kick-ass guitar-driven psychedelic funk-rock more in the vein of, well, Hard Core Jollies, or something as hard grooving as Knee Deep. Once past that, this is a deep, complex, entertaining, and oh so funky opus.

As a whole though, I still say it should not be released under the Funkadelic name; it is more accurately described as either a P-Funk All-Stars or George Clinton release. But who ever thought George would come back this hard and intense in his twilight years?! Pretty damn cool. I am also reading and digging the hell out of his book.

I am still holding out hope of hearing more deep tracks with Bernie and Bootsy prominent in the mix. Get them reunited and emphasize more vocals and less rap. That is the true funk trifecta and we need them to do it while they still can!

4EVA FONIKIN' ON BOBBAS!

That's pretty much my feeling as well ... based on the itunes samples. I'll put this album on my Christmas list. What I heard of "Jolene" sounds pretty kick ass. I'd love about five more tracks in that vein. Some of the other stuff sounds cool, too. It's definitely all over the place, so I'll probably make a playlist out of half of the tracks or so. I still feel guilty about doing that to an artist's product, but for this album, it also seems like GC and the fellas/ladies would be ok with us picking and choosing.

You have a whole helluva lot to choose from...

So,I guess the physical CD will be released tomorrow (Tuesday)...gonna go out and grab a copy,if I can tolerate the huge shopping crowds out there,lol.

The release of the physical CD should prompt more reaction, like this very positive one from the Boston Globe: http://www.bostonglobe.co...story.html

HardcoreJollies said:

Man........some of these tracks are busy from a production/arrangement standpoint..........But I dig it. A Lot!

Another positve review ... http://somethingelserevie...-the-gate/